Thursday, August 25, 2011

At his home in Grants Pass, Oregon the man that created my favorite Disney comic to read as a child, passed away. He started at Disney in the mid Thirties and later went on to draw Donald and the gang well into the late Sixties. In his comics, the characters were dramatically different than the shorts. Donald was not near as much of a rascal and he took readers on adventures to exotic and exciting places way before Dr. Jones ever did. For an old man, he was mighty limber (Scrooge, not Barks). Carl did as Walt did, not creating stories for children, but the child in all of us. And I delighted in every issue he provided me. My love of adventure started with his words and pictures and I owe him a great deal of gratitude. Many youths of today will not even know him, but they do know of him through his creations.

I didn't get to go to the D23Expo panels on Sunday due to a previous commitment...

There were only two events I wanted to attend, if I had been about to be there on that day: the Marvel Panel and the Cars Land Panel. Well, thanks to the wonders of YouTube, you and I can watch that panel. Just imagine all those people that waited in line only to be told the room was full? They could have been riding something in the parks and just clicked on this once they got home. So here it is for your viewing pleasure:

Wednesday, August 24, 2011

Steven P. Jobs has resigned as CEO of Apple, Inc. as of today. This is like hearing something equivalent to Walt Disney resigning from Walt Disney Productions. It truly is the end of an era. Like when Walt passed away and the Disney Studios had to find there way without him, or Henry Ford no longer being at Ford Motor. It's one of those points in history that you can point to and say that you were there, or you remembered what you were doing at that time.

It won't likely mean anything for his involvement in the Walt Disney Company. They don't meet that often and he will likely stay on the Board of Directors, as his seven percent of the company still makes him an important contributor to business discussions. My warmest feelings and deepest regards go out to him, his family and the people who work there. He will now be the Chairman of the Board, but he won't be around One Infinite Loop on a continuing basis or regular schedule.

While his shadow will loom long and far over the company, his fingerprint will remain there forever...

Sunday, August 21, 2011

On what went right and what went wrong. Mostly on the wrong part of that reflective question. Lets recap a little about the 2009 D23 Expo. First, it was over 4 days and in the end had over 20,000+ attend the show. Not bad for a first time event. Disney pulled it off pretty well, although there were some rough edges that you would think they would learn from and tweak the next time, right?

Not really, no.

This time to save money, (I mean, those numbers weren't a success for a first time event.) they decided to have the event over three days instead of four. And the attendance this year was more than last time, catching Disney off guard. close to 40,000 attended this year. A full 17,000 attended a sold out Saturday event alone. Do the math, almost twice as many people with one less day to do it in. Crowds far worse than last time. Less Cast Members were there to help out from the parks as well. Have to save those pennies you know. After all, no one will notice right? There were five security companies hired to handle this event as well and I talked to some of them as well as several people that worked for the Anaheim Convention Center and they all agreed that the Mouse botched it.

There were a lot of displays, but it did seem like there were less of them. I could be wrong about that, but the general perception was along those lines. The Walt Disney Parks & Resorts display was nice, but the open space between the displays made it feel like there were less models on view. Also, the announcement that there would be things on display from all parks wasn't accurate as well. Florida, with the Extreme Expansion at the Magic Kingdom's Fantasyland was the big model this time. California with Buena Vista Street and Cars Land were represented. Shanghai was on display in a very intentionally vague model. Disney Cruise Line had a representation there as well with models of the Dream and a statue of Minnie from the Fantasy. Adventures by Disney, the Aulaniand the Disney Vacation Club was represented as well. But Hong Kong from 09' wasn't represented, neither was Disneyland Paris and nothing from Tokyo Disneyland or Tokyo DisneySEA (Mustn't embarrass the other parks by stunning Disney fans with pictures from this park, could they?).

But as I mentioned in my observations in the earlier post, the biggest mistake was the Arena area of the park. This was the place where the big stuff was to be held. This place holds 6,000+ people and during the first D23 Expo Disney rented out the entire place. Even then people still didn't get in. You would think with this demand, event planners would have prepared for this and did something to address the situation. They did. They made it worse. To make it more intimate (company phrasing to hide the unwillingness to fork over cash for the entire place) they decided to only rent out approximately 4,000 seats. Leaving almost a third of the place empty. Empty even though they could have filled up all the seats. Almost the whole upper balcony sat vacant while fans waited outside. Way to make it more intimate, guys. Real good PR move. While I got into the Parks & Resorts event, hundreds of people did not. This left many people that attended this expo who waited in line feeling frustrated and saddened at not being able to see the presentation. Now, what was shown was very entertaining, but it wasn't any big surprise. TomStaggs continues to grow in his job and will hopefully be Iger's successor some day. Like I mentioned in my other article, Staggs would likely only give a small surprise, not a big one. Which is exactly what happened.

But the major screw up was the big event for Walt Disney Studios; the massive two and a half hour collection of previews of coming films, DVD's and teases of what's to come over the next two/three years. This event did offer some surprises and the fact that they didn't let you bring your camera was a clue to this. If they have a Parks & Resorts event at a future Expo where they don't allow cameras or cell phones then you will have a clue that something is going to be shown that you'll want to be there for. But even with all these wonderful surprises, there were thousands of people, yes thousands, that didn't get to see any of it. They had to wander around the panels and exhibits checking websites for updates. All while two thousand seats sat empty. But it was intimate right? I was one of the lucky ones with a connection, but most were not.

The really bad thing is those that got up, drove to this thing and waited for three or four hours ahead or more only to be told that the Arena was full. Now, if those other seats were available there still would have been people who didn't get in to see it, but there would have been far less. And to make matters worse, this event was not advertised as a D23 Member exclusive event. That's because it was open to the public... or so it was advertised. But the geniuses at planning didn't think this one through. See, if you are a D23 member then you get early admission to the Expo. Fair enough, but it also means that you can line up for the Arena queue up to an hour before anyone else can. Including those that have been there four hours before you. So by the time the attendees were let in, it was full.

No one that waited in this line got to see the show. If the other two thousand seats had been available, many would have got to see it. But Disney chose to only buy out two thirds of it and make the others that waited feel like they'd wasted a good deal of time. Unless you were someone in the media or a D23 member you were shut out. That's not how it was advertised and that is not how it was planned, but it is how events unfolded. And several of the media weren't too happy having their reporting materials confiscated. To make matters worse, Marvel live-blogging the announcements made many reporters upset that they were invited to cover an event only to be scooped by the host. And with the chaos that happened over these three days many in the media felt that Disney had been touting that they can hold an event as good as, or better than Comic-Con does. The reporters I talked to believe they clearly cannot.

I can tell you at least one vice president no longer has a job because of these screw ups and I can think of one or two more I wouldn't mind seeing let go. I think the planning should have been done to make sure everyone wanted to return for the next expo. I don't know if that will happen, because I talked to several people that were so frustrated they didn't know wether or not they were going to book it. I think many will wait for the schedule to see what is planned. And several of those will wait to see if the Arena is fully booked, because if they plan on leaving a third empty then many will just stay home. Because they'll know that the events they are being told they have a chance of seeing, they have no real chance of attending. The planners of the next event had better have at least the entire Arena available or there will be major complaints. At least? How can they have more? Well, there are several rooms that weren't rented out which the event planners could have put seats in and big screens at the front to broadcast the events. If they're worried about cameras and cell phones then they can ban them from this room like they did for the Studios keynote. But at least many more will get to see it. That would leave the guest happy to have been part of the magic they wanted to see. Imagine that, Disney?

There were several things that went well, but far too many screw ups were worse than the original Expo, which shouldn't have happened. I wonder how many who worked that last one were paying attention? I wonder if they really thought this through? It certainly didn't appear so this time. They had better examine the problems they had and address them before next time. I remember hearing the PR Suits saying that two years would help them plan for an even better expo. Really? Then next time play it safe.

One of the things announced at D23 this weekend was a continuation of the goldmine known as "Tangled" next year...

Not a sequel, but a short that will debut on the Disney Channel in 2012. Nathan Greno and Byron Howard will bring us "Tangled Ever After" as a special event on the Mouse's main cable channel which has yet to be scheduled.

Saturday, August 20, 2011

For those that didn't attend the D23 Expo here is a surprise for you...

No long lines. No crappy, overpriced food. No dealing with screw-ups that shouldn't have happened. Just sit back in your chair and click the links. Watch them at your leisure and pause then to go to the bathroom or grab another drink from the fridge. Through the magic of YouTube you can be there.

Friday, August 19, 2011

I thought I'd add a few comments from Blue Sky's perspective on the second convention put on by the Mouse. I got to attend quite a few panels today that I wanted to. I barely got into Tom Staggs speech after a very interesting conversation with a couple of Bothans. But here are some thoughts.

First off, it's evident that Disney decided to pull back somewhat from the 2009 expo. Whereas the first one was over four days, this year there is only a three day event. The rooms used for panels was lowered as well. Disney is trying to be somewhat conservative after their first expo and not over plan for some of the events. I believe they intended to tighten their belt a bit this time and see how things go with the fans. The one area where I think they made a mistake is by not renting out the entire Arena for the big events. Sure, the line going around is that they wanted to make it more intimate, but that's not the case. The first expo had events using all 6000 seats in the Arena, while this year they're only using 4000 seats. Disney expected to save some money by not renting out many of the top tier seats (hence the propaganda about "intimate."). But truthfully, all that did was leave hundreds of fans unhappy and angry that they were left waiting outside in a line that had no hope of seeing events. If they're going to do this again next time, I suggest they at least put some screens along the queue area to allow those not inside to at least view Tom's announcements.

Now, as far as what was announced? Not much new as I expected. I know that a couple of things that were on the list got cut off for a later announcement (the program was reduced from an hour and a half to just an hour). But all present got to see a lot more of the progress on the current projects. If anyone expected a lot of new info to be released, all you had to do was look at the description of the keynote to make you lower your expectations. No new projects were going to announced for Disneyland as that will upstage all the stuff surrounding DCA. You can expect that we won't hear much about the next phase for that park till after next summer.

As for Shanghai, if you were visiting the Carousel of Projects then you'd see that vague model and those rotating pictures behind it. But that's all you'll see for a while. This park is about five years away. So they are in deep blue sky right now. it'll be another two years before the plans start to finalize and closer to three before you see any tangible progress. Even the projects that we announced here could evolve. This is "Blue Sky" Disney, of course. Nothing is set in stone just yet. Plans are made, shown to execs and then they're sent back to the drawing board. Tom himself has had them go back and change plans a couple times already. Disney spent a lot of time wooing the Chinese over the last decade with many samples of artwork that showed extravagant designs of beautiful things that would be possible in this park. Now, the hard part will be actually turning that paint into something buildable for a budget. Kind of like what they have to do with this year's expo.

Wednesday, August 17, 2011

With only a couple days to go before the Mini-Con, I thought it was time to address a few things...

I know that several sites have reported on several rumors about Shanghai Disneyland. Blue Sky has been relatively quite on the subject lately. Part of that is having to deal with the real world and the limits of time I have. The other part is that I promised my Bothans not to speak about certain thing until the fall. I've also only spoke to them a few times in the past several months. TomStaggs is a very good leader, that apparently understands the workings of Imagineering better than Jay Rasulo ever could. And he's also good at stopping leaks. But from what I've heard, I'm slowly becoming a fan of the direction he is headed. Staggs is a business man first, but he's someone that seems to get what most bean counters don't. And having him in charge of the parks could offer great opportunities ahead. Time will tell, but I think the Walt Disney Company is a world away from where it was a decade ago. And I clearly think he is the obvious candidate to replace Bob Iger when he decides to step down. Which I hope he realizes in his tenure before Eisner did.

That said, lets move on to Asia:

First off, the rumors that you've heard about a TRON attraction are true. It will take the place of Space Mountain in this sixth Magic Kingdom styled park. It is the giant white dome you see in that overview artwork piece the company released when they officially announced the resort a while back. It will be enclosed in darkness so that you won't see the exposed beams that shoot the lightcycle-type vehicles through the world of Tron (And yes, like the websites are saying, it is based on the Vekoma Motobike System designs).

As we were the first to break this, yes the water attraction that we mentioned is called the "Lost World River Rapids" and it is the mountain that you see in that artwork that was released (you did click on the link to "The Lost World" novel right?). I was able to tease what it was, but I wasn't able to reveal the name. Now that it's out, I can say that the stories are correct and there is more. Remember when Bob Iger mentioned that this park will be uniquely Chinese? Well, that's one of the reasons this attraction was approved. China is home to the largest collection of dinosaur finds in the world and the Mouse wants to play this up. The ride itself will be influenced by the GRR attraction that we have here in California, but it will be different. First off, it will have dinosaur audio-animatronics on it. Unless they make budget cuts, like happened on GRR, which have twice ended the inclusion of AA's, then you can expect a prehistoric experience. Also, the rockwork is very beautiful and extravagant. It is also expensive and over budget in design. Let's hope that the project isn't downscaled because the design is quite lovely and will become an instant classic. Please don't cut the beauty simply because of the cost overruns, Mr. Staggs.

Some people have noticed that Mayan temple over in the Adventureland area and have supposed that it is a Indiana Jones attraction. I can confirm that it is not. As of now, there are no plans to include the Man in the Hat on opening day. Things could change, but the designs of this attraction are not based on the Lucasfilm property. What it is, I can't say at this time, but wanted to tell you what it's not.

I know that sites are starting to report that the area will include a new "Pirates of the Caribbean" attraction with elements based on the designs of the attraction that was proposed for Hong Kong Disneyland. I can't confirm this, but there was/will be a POTC stunt show similar to the Indiana Jones one at Disney's Hollywood Studios. Whether this to be done in conjunction with or in place of the attraction, I'm not sure. As always, time will tell, and maybe we'll find out in not too much time.

There will be no Frontierland as of my last talks with the Bothans. Not that it hasn't been mentioned, but the plans for anything related to something that would go in such an area, would be placed in another land. While Japanese don't have any conception of what a "frontier" is, the Chinese experience with that term is known and considered far more negative. Hence the decision to not have a land named for it. In truth, Shanghai itself is the true Frontierland; wild, untamed and full of energy.

Just like HKDL has a variation of the Haunted Mansion, the Shanghai park will have variations on classic Disney attractions. In this case, the "Jungle Cruise" will be part of the park when it opens up in 2015/16, albeit with the same kind of variations that you see between the original Haunted Mansion and Mystic Manor. But it will be classic WDI from the designs I know of.

Over in Fantasyland, the "Seven Dwarfs Mine Coaster" is a go. This appears to be a clone of the one being built in the Extreme Expansion of WDW's Fantasyland. Another attraction that will be found in this land that is not in China's other Disney park is "Peter Pan" and a variation of the classic "Winnie the Pooh" ride. Plans are evolving and discussions are ongoing as to which other attractions are to be included. Expect at least one, possibly two more to join these on opening day.

That slow flume ride beneath the castle is also true as well. But, while some sites have reported that it will go throughout the entire park, it will actually only travel around Fantasyland. But it will be a beautiful ride through that popular land. The experience you get will be one of an enveloping fairytale, but done with the Imagineer's golden touch.

Disney and it's Imagineers have had a difficult time adjusting to Chinese culture and their way of doing things. It is a learning experience and a frustrating one at times. The way that things are constructed and the guidelines that China uses are not what WDI expects and it has been a challenge dealing with the way things are done in the Middle Kingdom, and Shanghai in particular. Let's just say the tools they use, figuratively and literally are different than what Glendale is used to working with.

There will be plans and models shown at the D23 Expo, but I wouldn't expect everything or most of what has been revealed here to debut. Unless Staggs changes the initial plans then we can really expect an overview with some minor surprises. But we'll have to wait for that big, beautiful tomorrow to find out.

Sunday, August 14, 2011

If you haven't seen it, MTV has a video interview with the busiest man in entertainment...

GuillermodelToro spoke with the network about many of his upcoming projects, including: "The Haunted Mansion," his "Hulk" television series, his giant robot vs. giant monster film, "Pacific Rim," among many other projects, including his new foray into video games, "inSANE." But didn't include anything on his new book series, "The Strain" or "Trollhunters" over at DreamWorks Animation. I guess if they discussed everything the man is connected to then it would have turned into a mini-series.

An interesting interview as he's quite candid and open as a film maker and creator. If there is ever to be a case for cloning, del Toro is the man I'd recommend as the first candidate. Just image all the projects that we'd have coming out. My only complaint is that the interview about Mansion doesn't include the most obvious question: "Will he direct it?" I suspect he won't, but will co-write and produce it. But I'd like a definitive answers, none-the-less.

Thursday, August 11, 2011

In a conference call with investors for the Walt Disney Company the other day, BobIger mentioned that the Mouse was looking at the opportunity to buy other characters. Now, I know that people will complain about a lack of creativity, but the Maestro himself purchased the rights to several characters he didn't own(101 Dalmatians, Winnie the Pooh, ect.). Many of those characters today are thought of as being as Disney as Mickey Mouse. But I'll take this opportunity to stand up on my soapbox once again:

These characters have been inside Disney Parks for two decades and most guests, particularly young boys, identify them as Disney characters to begin with. To inform them that they aren't owned by Disney would be a surprise to most if not all. If Iger is true to this statement then it's time to purchase them from Lucas and make it happen. I can only cross my fingers that this is what has been happening in back channels. I dream of Iger having meetings with GeorgeLucas up in Marin County, discussing a transaction similar to the Marvel deal over a nice lunch at Skywalker Ranch.

If there is any company that Lucas could/would/should leave his characters in the hands of, it's the Walt Disney Company. It represents a strong collection of characters that Iger can utilize across all sectors of the company. From merchandise, television, film, theme parks, the brands represent an opportunity for the company to expand earnings and generate content with a very recognizable list of characters.

Television offers opportunities as well, with the CloneWars series being such a success on the Cartoon Network, shows made for Disney XD would be a given. And lets not forget to mention my long dream of an "Indiana Jones" animated series from PaulDini. How about an animated series focusing on "The Adventures of Han & Chewie?" And if ABC can have a network show coming that stars the Hulk, could you not see one staring Republic Commandos?

Then there is the possibility of expanding the Lucasfilm brand in the parks. Could you see an entire section in the Hollywood Studios dedicated to Star Wars? Or even better: A Fifth Gate that is nothing but that? The opportunities are endless and as big as the universe the Bearded One created. So, I think Bob Iger should take the advise of one of Star Wars wisest characters:

Monday, August 8, 2011

Time passes so quickly that you tend to lose perspective of what has happened...

Or what could happen. The middle of the decade is only about three and a half years away. I thought it would be interesting to take a look at where the Mouse will likely be then.

When we get to 2015 you have to wonder where the Walt Disney Company will be. What will the film business be like? The theme parks division? How will the events and advances in technologies change or advance the Burbank entertainment company? In this post, I thought we'd look at the film division.

The live action family division of the Mouse at the middle of the decade will have released "John Carter," "20,000 Leagues Under the Sea," probably "Pirates of the Caribbean 5" and various others. A "TR3N" will likely have been released if the reception to "Tron: Uprising" meets the Suits approval. And should many of those films be successful, then you can imagine sequels to several of them would be on the way. Another John Carter would be close to production or already being filmed based on how much box office receipts came in in 2012. A sixth, and likely final Pirate film starring Johnny Depp would undoubtedly be in the making as well. The likelihood of Rich Ross still being in charge will depend on the success of many of these films as well as several comedies recently approved. Should we get more stinkers like what has come out with over the past year, another head of the studios could be in charge by the middle of the decade. Success in this business has a way of leveling out and rolling heads.

Walt Disney Animation Studios:

The heart and soul of the company will look dramatically different come a few years. The output of films will have been of a consistently better quality for the good part of a decade by then (Pixar bought in 2006, "Bolt" two years later). With Lasseter making sure stories count more than bean counter opinions, audiences will hopefully have started to regain faith in the brand by then. Also the variety of films will have broadened. While princesses and queens and kings will still be present, stories that you wouldn't normally think of coming from Disney will have come or be soon coming from Disney. By 2015, you can expect "Wreck It Ralph," "King of the Elves," and likely "Snow Queen" to be out come the middle of decade. But the most interesting ones are yet to come from the trailers of what Dean Wellins and Don Hall have planned. By this time WDAS will have likely rebuilt a reputation that war torn down over the late 90's/early 2000's.

Pixar Animation Studios:

Up north in Emeryville, Disney North will be passed all the announced films that we know will continue through 2013. Next year is "Brave" which presents a princess tale from the Lamp's point of view. Afterwards, "Monster University" will roll into theater the following year. 2014 and 2015 have yet to be announced, but one of those films is likely to be by Pete Docter, and there are four or five other projects that are in various states of active development up there and anyone of them could be moved on the production slate. It all depends on which ones Lasseter believes are ready to move into production. I would expect an expansion of the slate of films from Emeryville to be announced within the next year or so. We're about due for another list.

Marvel Studios:

Disney's latest sibling has a much fuller and more open slate over the next few years. Now, this is a list of films the studio is producing itself, not the characters that have been licensed to other studios. But by 2015 expect to see "Avengers," "Iron Man 3," "Thor 2," "Ant Man," "Captain America 2," and possibly a "Runaways," film, a "Doctor Strange," film and a "S.H.I.E.L.D." film. This isn't even counting several other projects that are gestating like "Iron Fist" and others that the comic book powerhouse are planning for the silver screen.

Touchstone Pictures:

Over at the adult live-action division, which has basically become a distribution house for Steven Spielberg, will have just had the five year/thirty picture deal expire the year before. Should DreamWorks and Disney seem to be enjoying the marriage at this time, you could expect a similar five year plan to be announced. Films like "Lincoln," "Robopocalypse" and several others will have been released within this time frame. That would mark a decade worth of relationships with Spielberg and his company. Hopefully, some of his talent will be used in other areas of the company throughout these coming years.

The many divisions of the studio focus on different aspects of the market. Walt Disney Pictures concentrates on the live-action family entertainment. Walt Disney Animation Studios concentrates on classic animated entertainment. Pixar Animation Studios concentrates on cutting edge animated entertainment. Marvel Studios concentrates on live-action adventures of its vast catalog of characters. Touchstone Pictures which used to be another label of Disney produced/non-Disney stories will now concentrate on the new mission of being a simple distribution label for DreamWorks. It's come a long way from where it was as a small, animation company that made shorts for RKO Pictures to play in front of their features.

It's going to be interesting to see where it after the the middle of this decade...

Monday, August 1, 2011

It's interesting to look at the body of work Marvel Studios has built up in less than half a decade...

Iron Man (2008)

The Incredible Hulk (2008)

Iron Man 2 (2010)

Thor (2011)

Captain America (2011)

Next year is the culmination of the comic book company's and many geek fans dream with the release of "The Avengers." It also marks a turn for Marvel Studios, in that it will be finally be working as an independent entity within the Mouse, a lot like Pixar. They won't be relying on an outside partner (Paramount) to distribute their films for a small percentage of the take. The Walt Disney Studios will take the reins of distributing and marketing them, but the Marvel executives will be the ones making the decisions; a semi-form of autonomy, with exceptions only when budgets start to go beyond a certain point.

But think of what they've accomplished. Marvel has essentially in less than a decade, become a live-action Lamp. They're the live-action Pixar. Now, this is not to say I don't have problems with "Iron Man 2," but I didn't hate it. It had it's moments and much of it was compelling. But it was very uneven to me, and much too much of just a calling card for Avengers. This is something that "Captain America" was accused of, but totally off base. That film works as a story until itself. If anything it only adds/accentuates the idea of seeing the spin off. I could easily live without any Avengers film so long as I got a couple more Cap films of the same quality. So far, no film Marvel has made has turned out to have been a dude, a bomb or truly bad. They've taken great care to make sure the adaptations that reach the screen are authentic and assessable to the public at large. And they clearly have a plan that reaches out for the next few years.

The Avengers (2012)

Iron Man 3 (2013)

Thor 2 (2013)

Possible film projects:

Doctor Strange (2013)

Ant Man (2013/14)

The Runaways (2013/14)

Captain America 2 (2014)

Iron Fist (2014)

Luke Cage (2014)

S.H.I.E.L.D. (2014)

While I'm a DC Guy, I begrudgingly have to acknowledge that Marvel is kicking their butts right now. With the exception of video games where DC is better represented, and home video where they have a slight lead with the quality of their DVD films. Marvel is clearly the company making the better decisions. Other than Batman and Superman, DC just hasn't been able to make any traction in adaptations. While "Green Lantern" may have not been a bomb, it was a huge disappointment. The didn't fully get what the character was about. Let's cross our fingers if a sequel is made that they realize the errors from the first film and rectify it. And any future adaptation had better be handled with care. Perhaps they should try the Marvel Way? Even in comics, DC's latest moves strike me as gimmicky and desperate (rebooting all your titles back to #1? Superman wearing pants? Really???). Warner Suits, please pay attention to what you're doing. You have the potential to make a great deal of money, or possibly alienate anyone you wish to see your films.

One of the ways they've accomplished this difficult feat of becoming a major Hollywood player, is to recreate a variation of the old studio system that was disbanded in the late Sixties. This was a system within the entertainment industry where talent was controlled, educated and trained, and most importantly, marketed by the moguls of Hollywood. Marvel has created a system where they lock up talent for long periods of time with multiple film commitments. This is something that hasn't been done to this level in decades. Most of the contracts for actors run 7 to 9 films. Samuel Jackson is signed for nine pictures total. The same contract was offered to Chris Evans, but he didn't want such a long commitment and was able to negotiate one for just six pictures. That's still a lot of films. Scarlett Johansson also has a similar contract. These deals, many of which are not for great amounts of cash, create a stable group of talent from which to draw from for their stories. One of the main reasons Marvel is able to do this is because of the cache value that superhero films have right now. They can turn a very good actor into a super star who can command and control his/her own destiny outside of Marvel's films. It's a small price to pay for benefits that would come from such a success.

Another reason that is even more important that the talent is the story. And Marvel doesn't have groups of committees that pore over scripts offering suggestions as to how to make it better. They have a small group of executives lead by Kevin Feign that actually knows the properties they're trying to get made. Somewhat like Pixar and the small group of film makers that John Lasseter relies on, this group is the one charged with choosing the characters, hiring the directors and green lighting the film for production. They typical Hollywood high concept assembly line that turns out one after another soulless films has been avoided.

It will be interesting to see what happens after 2013, because that is when most of the brand characters will have run their cycle and a new collection of stories and heroes will have to arrive on the silver screen.